What Do You Say?
by Em Kay Who
Summary: When Rose receives an invite to her ex's wedding, the Doctor suggests she takes him as her plus one.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's my secret santa fic for megabadbunny over on tumblr. Merry Christmas!**

 ***Special thanks to ashlanielle for helping me bounce around some ideas and to hanluvr for giving this a read through before I posted and finding those mistakes I was sure to miss!**

 **Prompt: Nine x Rose fake marriage.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related.**

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"WHAT!?"

The Doctor jumped in surprise from his place under the console, hitting his head in the process. He'd been making a few minor repairs and adjustments while Rose was occupied herself on the jump seat while she called up her mother. Muttering a string of curses, he focused his attention on the conversation his companion was having on her mobile.

"But why? I mean, really though... Why? Seriously, Mum, are you sure?"

"Loaded question, that," the Doctor snorted.

Ignoring his jest, Rose continued speaking to her mother. "Okay, okay, I believe ya, but I still don't see why he would send me an invitation his wedding. He's my ex-boyfriend."

"Rickey the Idiot tying the knot, is he?" he asked, knowing full well Rose was not going to be amused with him. Still, he couldn't help himself. Even when she was irritated with him she was adorable. Not that he would admit that out loud of course. Nope. Best to keep that bit of information to himself.

"Of course, I'm not going to go!" she exclaimed, twisting her hair between her fingers. "Well, why do you think? Mum- Mum! No, I'm not going to go to his wedding. Check no on that RSVP, yeah? Ta." She sighed. "Yeah, I love you too. Okay... Bye, Mum."

He watched his companion hit the end button on her mobile before flinging herself backward to lay dramatically over the jump seat. "Mate getting married, then?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"Not bloody likely," she bit out. "My ex, Jimmy."

The Doctor took a sharp breath and narrowed his eyes. He'd heard of the bloke before. Rose had told him all about how she'd left school for the boy and how'd she'd given up everything for him before he left her in loads of debt for another woman. The only solace she had given him was that the other man had wound up being arrested for theft. "Thought he was in prison?"

"Out I guess," she huffed, "and apparently getting married. And he had the nerve to invite me! I mean, he probably just wants to show off. Show me what I'm missing out on or something."

"If only he knew, eh?" the Doctor teased, nodding to the open TARDIS doors. Currently they were floating through space while he'd made some quick repairs.

Rose smiled at the sight. "Yeah, if only he knew. But, he's not going to know anything, because I am not going. It's ridiculous that he even invited me. Bet he knows that I won't show up. Probably testing me. He was always doing stuff like that to make me feel silly."

"So prove him wrong."

Rose frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Go and show him he's wrong about you. That you will show up and with your head held high."

She shook her head. "No! No way. How pathetic would I look? Showing up to his wedding all on my own?"

"Who said you'd be on your own? Did that invite come with a plus one?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yep!"

"You would seriously go with me?"

"Well, if you'd rather Rickey Boy take you..."

"No!" she answered a little too quickly. "But, I don't know. Isn't a wedding a bit domestic for ya?"

"Absolutely. But showing up your ex? Sounds like quite a lot of fun to me!"

A lovely blush spread across Rose's face. "You'd really do this for me?"

The Doctor smiled softly. "S'my idea isn't it? Call your mum back, get the date and location."

Rose nodded. "Do you think we could stop at some shops somewhere so I could find something to wear?"

Normally the Doctor would cringe and give a good whinge about going shopping, but he knew this was important to his companion. "Course. Best shops in the universe, coming right up! Just don't expect me to hold your bags for ya."

Three days later the Doctor was setting the coordinates for the wedding venue while Rose put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. Unnecessary in his opinion, he thought she looked gorgeous no matter what. Not that he said it out loud of course, there were certain lines he tried very hard not to cross and that was one of them. Still, he knew it was important to her that she look and feel her best today. From what he knew of her ex, Jimmy Stone, the other man would constantly make Rose feel like she was not enough and that was completely unacceptable.

After inputting the coordinates, he set the date and scoffed. "Christmas Eve. Who wants a Christmas Eve wedding?"

"Jimmy doesn't celebrate Christmas. He's Jewish."

"Oh, well that makes... sense," the Doctor trailed off as he turned to look at his companion. The sight that met him left in silence.

Rose brushed a few strays hair behind her ear self-consciously. "Do I... Do you think I look all right?"

"Rose, you look beautiful."

"For a human?"

"No. You look beautiful. Period."

A wide grin split her face. "Thanks. I wasn't sure about this dress at first, but the saleswoman at the shop promised it was flattering."

"Well, she was right," he said softly, taking in her form. The ensemble she had chosen was a simple black cap sleeve dress with a lace overlay. It fell to her ankles and though modest, was sexy in a subtle way. She paired the dress with simple open toed black heels and her TARDIS kept on a sparkly unbreakable chain they had picked up awhile back at a small astroid bazaar. Her hair was swept up in a simple twist with a few loose pieces framing her face.

"Look at you, though!" Rose acknowledged his appearance excitedly. "Didn't even know you owned more than a few jumpers and that leather jacket. You look very handsome."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, and tried to ignore the way his hearts suddenly sped up at the compliment. He'd donned a charcoal grey suit for the occasion, simply because he knew that, for once, his leather jacket was not going to blend in. "Course I own more that just my jumpers and the jacket. You've seen the Wardrobe Room."

Rose giggled. "You telling me you've worn all those clothes in there?"

"Maybe not all of them, but a good majority!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna need to see pictures."

"Not going to happen, besides we'd be late to the wedding," he told her as he began the well choreographed dance of piloting his ship.

"Time machine," she reminded him in jest, feeling the nerves of where they were about to go set in.

When the ship landed with a only a small bump, the Doctor patted the console. "Ready?"

"No."

"Rose-"

"Last time I saw Jimmy he was dead to the world asleep. I was getting ready to leave for my shift at the local chippy. I bent down to kiss his forehead when I saw the needle marks on his arms and the love bites on his neck. I was so mad... and sad. I was determined to talk to 'im when I got home. I was going to break up with him, yeah? I would still be there for him, let him know there was help if he wanted to stop the drugs, but I was too late. I came home to empty bedsit and an even emptier bank account," she gave a watery laugh.

The Doctor pulled her into his arms and gave her a warm hug. "We don't have to do this, not now. You were right before. Time Machine. I can fly us away and come back when and if you're ever ready."

She shook her head. "No. I'll never feel really ready, but I've got to do this now."

"Good girl. Then here," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a white gold ring with a daisy shaped diamond cluster in an art deco style.

Rose's eyes widened. "Where'd you get that?!"

"Oh, I've had it rattling around for ages," he brushed aside. "So what do you say, want to be my wife, Rose Tyler?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's part two! And because I can't hold back there will now be a part three!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

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Rose took a deep breath as the Doctor escorted her through the reception hall, to they table they'd been assigned. The wedding had been a short ceremony blending Jimmy's Jewish faith and his now wife's Protestant faith. Seeing her ex standing at the front of the chapel was not as painful as she expected it to be. He looked so different from the boy she knew. He was like a stranger. A new person.

"So that was himself then?" the Doctor asked as they took their seats. So far they were the only ones at their table. Other guests were still mingling around chatting with each other.

"Yeah," Rose sighed. "He's changed so much since I've seen him. Healthier. That's good, I suppose."

"New wife seems nice enough. Hope she knows what she's getting into."

"Must do. Don't know how he would hide it."

The Doctor took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I am. More so than I expected to be. I imagine I'll have to actually speak to him at some point and that might be... difficult. But right now, I'm good. Thank you for bringing me and, you know, being here with me."

Glancing down at the ring resting on her left ring finger, he responded, "Anything for you, Rose Tyler."

"That's Rose Smith, husband," Rose teased as the others assigned to their table began to take their seats. Brief introductions revealed that they were seated with some of the bride's coworkers along with their significant others.

"And what about you? Bride or groom?" the women directly to Rose's right asked.

She smiled politely. "Groom. He and I knew each other when we were younger."

"Oh, how lovely! Janey was telling us the other day that poor James didn't have very many people from his side that would be here. How wonderful of you to make the trip! I'm sure he's thrilled to have you here."

Thankfully, Rose was spared from responding by the DJ turning down the music and announcing the wedding party. Soon after, dinner was served and conversation between guests died down to a quiet murmur. Once the plates had been cleared, the bride and groom began making their rounds through the room, stopping at each table to greet their guests personally. "Oh god," Rose muttered quietly when her ex was only two tables away. She didn't even realize that her breathing had turned irregular until she felt the Doctor tuck her into his side, whispering for her to breathe with him.

"We can leave," he offered when she had come back to herself. "Right now, there's time. We can leave and no one would ever question it."

She shook her head. "No. No, I need to do this. I _can_ do this."

"I know you can," the Doctor said with full confidence.

The second Jimmy and his new wife reached their table Rose's body tensed, but one look to the Doctor and she felt herself relax. He was there with her and he would never let anything happen to her. Standing from their chairs, they waited for the bride and groom to greet them.

"Rose! You-you actually came!" Jimmy exclaimed, looking at Rose in complete shock.

"Well, you invited me," she replied quietly.

"I know, I just- I was just afraid you wouldn't come, even after I got your RSVP. I'm so happy you did though. Please, allow me to introduce you to my wife Janey. Janey, this is Rose."

The bride's face lit up. "Hello! Oh, I'm so pleased you were able to make it! I was afraid making the wedding on Christmas Eve would mean no one would show up, but it's my favorite holiday!"

Rose gave a kind, if not perplexed, smile at the bride's enthusiasm over meeting her new husband's ex-girlfriend. "Well, it all happened to work out timing wise for me and the Doctor, so here we are."

"Doctor?" Jimmy asked, looking at the man holding Rose's hand.

"Doctor John Smith, Rose's husband," the Time Lord greeted proudly, giving the groom a firm handshake.

The younger man's eyes went wide. "You're married? Blimey, I hadn't heard. I would have addressed your invitation accordingly. Hope it was no hassle for your mum."

"Well, she wasn't to thrilled when she saw your name on the envelope, if I'm being honest," Rose responded tartly, the Doctor biting back a grin.

Jimmy's face flushed as he cleared his throat. "Right. Listen, about that... Rose, do you think we could speak privately for a moment?"

Rose's breath caught in her throat. She knew she needed to speak with him, that's why she had come after all, but now actually facing the matters at hand, it felt even more daunting than before. "Well..."

Janey placed a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "Why don't the four of us head out to the veranda for a few moments? It's not too cold yet and honestly, I could do with a bit of fresh air, hm?"

"Rose?" the Doctor question, knowing he needed to put her comfort first. With a deep inhale, she nodded her head and allowed the Doctor to help her with her coat, before falling the bride and groom out of the reception hall.

Janey had been right, thankfully it wasn't too cold out on the veranda and the portable heaters placed strategically around the veranda helped cut through what bite in the air there was. "Doctor Smith? Are you interested in architecture at all? There's some really interesting stonework over here you might find intriguing. Perhaps I could show it to you while Jimmy and Rose have a chat," the newly minted Mrs. Stone suggested.

The Doctor turned to his companion. "Is that all right with you?"

Rose looked around the veranda. In the past, the idea of being alone with Jimmy would have had Rose running for the hills, but she was a different person now and so was he. Plus, she knew the Doctor wouldn't be far should she need him. "Yeah. Go on and check out some architecture." She giggled at the silly face he made before leaning down to kiss her cheek. She was rather enjoying being pretend married to him.

"He really loves you," Jimmy stated, breaking Rose out of her thoughts.

"I really love him," she admitted quietly, knowing in her heart that she was speaking the truth and not pretending.

"S'funny. I sort of always thought you'd end up with Dickey."

"It's Mickey and you know it," she huffed.

"Ohhhh... my mistake." He winked.

Rose shook her head, biting back a grin. "You're so full of it."

"In all seriousness though, Rose. I am happy to see you so happy," Jimmy told her, his voice lowering. "I-I know when we last saw each other I was... Well, my life was a mess. I've made a lot of mistakes. And the fact that Janey even has allowed me to be in her presence, let alone marry her, is a complete miracle."

"Jimmy-"

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so bloody sorry. And I don't expect you to ever accept my apology, I don't deserve your acceptance, but I had to say it. After I was arrested... Prison was... Prison was hard. Terrifying at times. But it forced me to reevaluate my life and decide what I wanted to do with it. I got to see a counselor and clean myself up. Prison was the best thing to happen to me in my life up until the day Janey agreed to be my wife."

"How did you two meet?" she asked.

The other man smiled. "The halfway house I stayed in after prison volunteered at a local horse ranch that she works at. We started out as friends and then sort of fell in love I guess. It took me awhile to admit my feelings. I was terrified I would slip back into my old ways and ruin her life like I ruined..." he trailed off and looked at her guiltily.

"Like you ruined mine?"

"Yeah."

Rose gave a heavy sigh. "Why did you do it?"

Jimmy blinked back tears. "The worst part? I don't remember very much. I was in so deep, Rose. The drinking, the drugs," he shook his head, "it's like I look back on that time and it's all a blur. It's like someone else's life, but I have to live with the fact that it wasn't someone else who did those terrible things. It was me."

"But you're trying to be a better person now. That's what matters," she told him quietly. She had come to this wedding to stand up to her ex. To show him she was better without him and if the opportunity presented itself, to tell him how horrible he was to her. And in a sense, she's done that. But she's learned so much through her travels with the Doctor and if she's learned anything it's that everyone makes mistakes and it's how those people handle those mistakes that makes the all the difference. Once upon a time Jimmy Stone was terrible to her, but he's now apologised and made clear choices to better his life. That has to mean something.

"I'm trying." He shrugged. "Janey... She believes in me. I have to be better for her."

"That's right, you do. Because so help me, Jimmy, if I hear anything you about mistreating her in any way, the Doctor and I will be back and trust me, you don't want that."

"You can be right scary, you know that? Blimey. Guess we've both changed," he said, not unkindly.

She nudged his shoulder. "Yes, we have."

"On that note, I have something for you."

"Isn't it traditional for the guests to get the bride and groom presents and not the other way around?"

Jimmy laughed as he pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "Well, this isn't so much a present since it originally belonged to you in the first place."

Rose accepted the envelope and gasped when she saw the contents. "Jimmy-"

"It's all there," he told her nervously. "At least, I'm pretty sure it is. Let me know if anything is missing and I'll be more than happy to fix it."

The money he stole from her. A quick glance made her pretty positive that he had replaced every last bit of the funds that he withdrew from her bank account before leaving her in the dust and in debt. "Does Janey know you're giving this to me?"

"Yes and I have her fully support," he assured her. "I don't keep secrets from her. I've been saving for a long time so I could give you the full amount. I've, uh, been working as a door to door salesman. Just vacuums, not the most glamorous life, but it's good work and I'm actually pretty decent at it. I'm up for a promotion pretty soon."

Rose took a deep breath before deciding her next move. Surprising both her ex and herself, she pulled him in for a tight hug. "I'm proud of you, Jimmy."

"For what's it's worth, I'm proud of you too, Rose," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Now, I think we better wrap this up before your husband comes and beats the shite out of me. You should see the glare he's giving me right now."

She pulled away with a laugh. "He can be a bit overprotective, but I love him for it."

"Is he who you ran away with when you went missing for a year?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose blushed and looked away. "Heard about that did you?"

"Heard about it? I was questioned by the police! Thankfully I had a solid alibi with my halfway house!"

"Well, I would apologise, but I'm really not sorry." She gave a teasing grin. "But in answer to your question, yes. I was with the Doctor. It was all a bit of a whirlwind. I didn't mean to cause such a stir with my mum."

He snorted. "Yeah, I don't envy your husband having to deal with your mum after that. But he stuck around. That's true love."

Rose heart swooped at the thought. True love. Wanting to be back at her Doctor's side, she looped her arm through Jimmy's. "Come on, I think you've been separated from your new wife long enough."


	3. Chapter 3

He was desperately trying not to appear jealous, but the longer Rose spoke in private to her ex, the more the Doctor regretted his suggestion that he bring his companion to this wedding in the first place. Not only was he the one who encouraged Rose, he also decided it would be a good idea for them to pretend to be married. At the time he suggested it, he thought it would be something for Rose to use for strength as she stood up to her ex-boyfriend. He was well aware that many humans liked to show their former partners that they'd moved on without them, and while the whole idea was a bit silly to him (Rose didn't need a man to show her worth), he also liked the idea of being referred to as her husband. He was a goner and he knew it.

"Jimmy only wants to talk to her, you know. Apologise. He's not going to do anything to hurt her, I can promise you that," Janey said to him, breaking through his thoughts. She had been mid spiel about the architecture of the building, but quickly realised the Doctor wasn't paying her much attention.

"Well, forgive me if I don't quite believe that," the Doctor replied, though not unkindly. "He did tell you what he did to Rose, right?"

The newly minted Mrs. Stone nodded. "Yes. Jimmy's been honest with me from the beginning. It's not like he could really hide much. I knew he had a past. He was living at a halfway house when we met after all."

"And you're okay with it?"

"No, not in the slightest. What he did in his past was awful, but it's in his past. He's a different person now. And I realise that's probably hard for you to believe, but he has. Our relationship hasn't been easy or perfect. I've made him work hard to prove to me that's changed and he has. For the better."

The Doctor sighed. "You seem like a smart person, so I want to believe you. But Rose is-"

"She's your wife and you love her," she finished for him. "You should be protective, that's understandable."

"Right." The Doctor closed his eyes, finding himself wishing that the title of wife was real not pretend. Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of his companion hugging her ex-boyfriend. Making eye contact with the other man, the Doctor glowered until the two separated. With a satisfied smirk, he turned his attention back to Janey Stone.

* * *

As Rose made her way back over to the Doctor she was overwhelmed with affection for the Time Lord who was patiently standing and listening to her ex's new wife go on about the architecture of the reception hall. He was a man, an alien, who claimed he didn't do domestics, but here he was, at a human wedding on Earth, pretending to be her husband. And he was doing it for her. She wasn't sure why he suggested they fake married when they could have got by with introducing him as her date for the evening, but she was glad he did. She needed that title to hold on to. Maybe he knew that.

"Everything all right?" he asked as soon as she reached him, his hand automatically reaching for hers.

"Yep!" she replied, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I think it's time the bride and groom head back into their celebration though."

With everyone's agreement, the two couples made their way back inside. At Jimmy and Janey's urging, the Doctor and Rose stayed until the cake had been cut and then after enjoying their respective pieces, made a quiet exit.

As they they leisurely strolled back towards the TARDIS, taking in the local Christmas lights and decorations, Rose rested her head against the Doctor's arm and uttered a quiet, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Bringing me. Being here for me. Giving me the courage to stay. I couldn't have done it without you."

The Doctor shook his head. "You didn't need me, Rose Tyler, but it was my pleasure."

"Jimmy paid me back, you know." She pulled the envelope with money out the small purse she had brought along with her.

Taking it with his free hand he did a quick scan of funds and Rose knew he was quickly counting to make sure it was all there. "Good. It's long overdue," he declared, handing the money back to her. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Give it to my mum," she answered. "She helped me out so much during that time. I owe it to her. Besides, I don't need it, livin' on the TARDIS and all," she added with a tongue in teeth grin.

"Ha!" He snorted. "I should start charging you rent!"

"As if!" she countered, swinging their conjoined hands between them. Doing so, she felt the Doctor's thumb trace the ring he had placed on her finger earlier in the evening. "So where'd you get it? The ring, I mean." She nodded down to her left hand.

"Hm? Oh, it belonged to my mother."

Rose stopped in her tracks, pulling the Doctor to a stop with her. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"

He frowned. "Yes. She always had a fascination with human culture and my father brought it to her after one of his trips to Earth. Why?"

"Oh my god, Doctor! You have to take this back before something happens to it!" She pulled their hands apart and began frantically trying to pull the ring off her finger.

The Doctor clasped her hand between both of his. "Rose, stop. What's gotten in to you?!"

"This was your mum's ring! And your dad gave it to her? Why would you trust me with this? This is precious, Doctor. I know how much things from your home mean to you. I've seen the things you keep in the protective cases in the library."

"Yes, artifacts and what not from Gallifrey that I like to keep preserved, but, Rose, this wasn't from Gallifrey."

"It still belonged to your mother. Doesn't that mean something?"

"Course it does. I was never that close to my parents, wasn't the culture on my planet like it is for you, but I did share my mother's love of humans. When I graduated the Academy, she gave me this ring as a gift. Told me to keep it, sell it, or give it to someone I cared about, it was up to me."

"There was no one you wanted to give it to?"

"I was married, for a time, on Gallifrey, but it wasn't a love match so I never thought to give the ring to her. I was never desperate for funds and I couldn't bring myself to sell it so I decided to keep it. I'd honestly forgot until it popped up in the wardrobe room shortly after I met you. The day I met you actually."

Rose sucked in a deep breath and tried not to think about the possible meanings of him finding the ring right after meeting her. "Still, you should take it back. Save it for-"

He shook his head. "You should keep it, if you want. It suits you."

"S' gorgeous, Doctor, but why would you... Isn't there someone you'd rather save this for? I mean, it's a wedding ring," she said quietly, her free hand fiddling with her hoop earring nervously.

"Well, we were married that one time on Havernon V," he told her in a teasing tone.

"How could I forget? The water ceremony!" She threw her head back in laughter. "The look on your face when they poured that ice water over your head!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes playfully. "You laugh because they poured nice warm water over your head. How would you like freezin' water sloshed over you, hm?"

Rose's laughter died down to small giggles. "That was a nice day," she sighed. Remembering how they stumbled into a small village's annual marriage ceremony for all the couples ready to make a life commitment. Seeing their joined hands, the locals insisted that the Doctor and Rose join in, that it would be good luck to have off-worlders partake in their ceremony. Seeing their enthusiasm, neither Rose nor the Doctor had the heart (or in his case hearts) to deny them and readily joined in. The ceremony itself was a bit wet, what with the water poured over them (something to do with renewing their bonds to each other with the cleansing water), but the party they held after was one filled with lively music and delicious food. It had been a rare day for them where nothing went wrong. Where neither the village nor the planet needed saving and the Doctor and Rose could just relax and enjoy their time together in peace. Sometimes she wondered if days like that bored the Doctor, but he never complained. At least not seriously!

"Cold water aside, yes it was," the Doctor agreed, bringing her back to the present.

"So, I guess if I keep this ring I can wear it whenever we visit Havernon V. Since we're married there and all," she said, curious how he would respond to that.

"Or you could wear it all the time," he countered.

Hope bloomed in her chest, but she quickly tried to tamp it down. "But since it's a wedding ring, people would think... Well, they would assume they were married," she suggested carefully, gauging his reaction.

"Probably would," he agreed, "but then again, people often assume that anyway even without the ring."

"Usually set 'em straight though."

"Yeah, but what if we didn't? Save us the hassle of always correcting people."

"Are you saying we should just go around always pretending to be married?" she asked, her heart beginning to race.

He shrugged. "Who said anything about pretending? We're already married on Havernon V. Wouldn't be difficult to make it official everywhere else."

Rose bit her lip as they finally approached the TARDIS, not believing what he was actually saying. "You want to marry me? For reals?"

The Doctor crossed his arms as he leaned against the ship. A large smile spread across his face. "What do you say, Rose Tyler?"

She never verbally answered (at least not in that moment), something the Doctor would tease her about for sometime, instead she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. To be honest though, that was a clear enough answer for the Time Lord.


End file.
